Thursday, March 07, 2013

Vulcanos Erupt at 145 Decibel...

When Several AK-47 and Vulcanos Erupt at 145 Decibel...

A firecracker is a Class-7 explosive, and if it doesn’t meet the prescribed norms, it could be classified as an explosive. Another prime concern is that the manufacturers do not print the decibel output of a firecracker on the packet. This leads to further ambiguity pertaining to the noise impact of the cracker.

Otorhinolaryngologist Dr. Ajit Man Singh of Max Hospital, Saket seconds that the inflated noise emissions could be potentially harmful to the ear. “Children and senior citizens are most vulnerable,” he says. The thorny truth is that even noise-free zones like hospitals lie exposed. Max Hospital, for instance, is surrounded by residential colonies where joyous residents celebrate Diwali with synergetic passion. But therein lies another problem. While the SC had Okayed manufacturing 125dB output crackers, it subsequently imposed a noise restriction of 55 dB in residential areas. Thus further complicating things for the already inefficient enforcers.

Diwali in India is more than just a festival of Hindus. It’s a celebration that reflects communal harmony, to say the least. But as the beautiful sparks and rockets juxtapose and disappear into the night sky, the constant ‘explosion’ resonating in the background is anything but a symphony. Come to think of it, the unnecessary bass has been added to Diwali only after a certain evolution in technology. After all, the people of Ayodhya did celebrate Lord Ram’s victory over Raavan by lighting up the city, with no peculiar soundtrack in the background...